The White House confirmed Tuesday that it will move ahead with a plan to partially distribute food assistance during the federal government shutdown, just hours after President Donald Trump publicly threatened to halt payments entirely.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the administration intends to “fully comply” with a court order requiring the continuation of some support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP.
“We’re getting that partial payment out the door as much as we can and as quickly as we can,” Leavitt said during a press briefing.
READ ALSO: Trump administration bows to legal pressure, promises partial SNAP aid in November
Confusion spread earlier in the day after Trump appeared to contradict the funding plan on Truth Social, declaring that SNAP “will be given only when those Radical Left Democrats open up the government, which they can easily do, and not before!” The post ignited panic among the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP to afford groceries and drew immediate legal threats from advocacy groups.
“This is immoral. See you in court,” Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, wrote on X. Her organization is among the dozens of states, cities, nonprofits, unions, and small businesses that filed lawsuits to compel the administration to keep benefits flowing.
The administration is using about $5 billion from a contingency reserve to cover partial SNAP payments through November. The USDA issued guidance to states on how to process the reduced benefits, which amount to roughly $350 per household monthly when paid in full.
Last month, the agency said it couldn’t legally tap into the contingency fund for November benefits. But court rulings pointed officials to that reserve, ordering them to use it for at least partial payments and explore other funding sources to cover the full $8 billion cost.
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay,” Trump wrote last Friday.
READ ALSO: Judges compel Trump administration to fund SNAP using emergency reserves during shutdown
But USDA clarified that not every recipient will receive an even half of their usual benefit. According to the new guidance, families receiving the maximum allotment, $994 for a household of four, will get half. Smaller households at the minimum level will see their benefits drop to $12, down from $24. Households in between will get a reduced portion based on recalculations tied to updated allotment tables.
This approach allows states to issue payments faster, USDA said, by adjusting only the top-tier values instead of recalculating every individual benefit from scratch.
Meanwhile, legal battles continue. A federal judge in Rhode Island will hear a new motion on Thursday demanding that the administration provide full benefits for November. Plaintiffs argue the USDA failed to follow the court’s earlier order and are now asking the judge to tap unused tariff funds designated for child nutrition programs to cover SNAP in full.
According to CNN’s report, they cited Trump’s Truth Social post in their new filing, calling it clear evidence of political interference. “In addition to threatening defiance of the Court’s order, the post makes plain what Plaintiffs explained in their motion to enforce: Defendants are withholding SNAP benefits from individuals and families who need vital food assistance for partisan political gain,” the attorneys wrote.
USDA responded that diverting tariff funds would undermine key child nutrition initiatives, including the free and reduced-price lunch program, which feeds 29 million children daily.
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